About my Avatar

[ram]

Some folks have asked me what my avatar is. I finally had a little time and decided to throw this out. The image is that of a manta ray. I took the picture off Kona Hawaii a couple of years ago during a night dive. They eat plankton and glide through the water scooping up as much food as they can. This night we had three of them swimming around. Two males with a 6 or 7 foot wing span. And a female with a 13 foot wing span. Amazingly graceful in their movement. I had wanted to see them since I was about 6 or 7 years old - and finally got to! A very magical experience.

A couple more shots for your amusement:

[jdogric12]

Mystery solved! Thanks man, very cool.

[wj350]

They are gorgeous, graceful creatures. My wife and I had he chance to dive with them in Yap a couple years back. They can be individually identified by the spots on their undersides. Yap was great, you would just plant yourself still on the bottom of these cleaning stations, and they just roll in from the sea to let the various cleaner fishes do their thing. Sometimes they would just hover over you and let the exhaust bubbles tickle them..

Bill

[sharkboy]

Very cool and abstract. I had no idea.

My avatar pic is 18 years old and the kitty is still going.

[ram]

Thanks Jason & Mark.

Wow 18 years - isn't that ancient by cat standards?

Bill I totally agree - gorgeous, graceful. The big female, ever so lightly, brushed the top of my head as I sat planted on the bottom. Unbelievable accuracy for such a big creature. There were some kids (around 8 or 10 years old) snorkelling, on the surface, during our dive. The males were doing barrel rolls just under them. The experience totally blew the kids away!! I could have sat and watched the rays for hours or even days – unfortunately the air runs low way before that.

[sharkboy]

Wow 18 years - isn't that ancient by cat standards?

She's pretty old. The oldest cat ever was something like 34- there was also a claim of a 37 year-old.

Dusty has addressed old age with the same ferocity that she addressed kittenhood. Walking is a little bit of a chore, but with every howl she seems to be saying "I'll bury you all- maybe today if you don't watch your step!" Luckily, she's still crazy about me.

[rickenbrother]

Cool pics, Tom. They are definitely beautiful, graceful creatures Thanks for sharing that.

[scotty]

Tom, Thanks for posting the pics im sure everyone who has viewed enjoyed them.

[longboard_ric]

That must have been a real buzz Tom, great stuff

But as a long time surfer, I would be a little concerned about the fish you can't see, especially since it was a night dive !!!

[ram]

Shane it was a total trip… but they are really harmless, just graze on plankton (no teeth). They are around in daytime as well, just easier to attract at night (a light attracts the plankton and then they come to eat the plankton). So unless you resemble plankton while on the board, I think you are safe from mantas….. They do jump out of the water every once in a while. Quite spectacular I hear.

Surfing is way cool – wish I had grown up around a place to do that when I was young. A co-workers son was trying to go pro a few years back – he had biggest wave at a meet a couple years ago on the west coast (like +58 feet or so). I just sit and watch folks riding the waves – amazing!

[longboard_ric]

Hi Tom

I'll take your word about mantas being harmless, but I'd still be wary swimming at night around something that could swallow you whole and not even know it !!! I've had a quite few enjoyable surfs with dolphins, seen a lot of penguins and seals and was approached by a curious great white a couple of years ago, but am yet to see a manta.

I've surfed for nearly forty years but never anything remotely near 58 feet. I admire the big wave guys, they've got bigger 'nads than me. It's not that I couldn't surf a wave that big of course (sure !!!!), it's just that I couldn't hold my breath for a minute or two to survive the beating you get when you come off !!!! Thats my excuse anyway